NaBloPoMo Day 10: Baby Quilts

I just found out a very good friend of mine is having a baby. She has been trying for two years so it is fantastic news.  So, I have been wasting lots of time looking for appropriate baby quilts.  She is not finding out the sex so I need to make it so it will suit both genders. He is a typical Kiwi bloke so if it is a boy, I couldn't even have a hint of pink in it I am sure!!

I love Elizabeth Hartman's  quilts so her blog was one of my first stops. Nice clean lines with modern colours and simple designs. Found a couple there that would be suitable. Then I remembered Melly & Me. I love the clutch diaper change pad she has in her video...And her stuffed toys are adorable.  I think a quilt and something from Melly and Me would be perfect!

Now off to look for fabric online....I am so out of touch with baby stuff. My youngest is 9 going on 19, so I  haven't looked at baby stuff for years!! Hope I don't get too clucky :-)

NaBloPoMo Day 9: Quilting magazines

After Calico Christmas the other day, I went to Borders, which is a fabulous bookshop. I can spend HOURS in there, and I usually do. I love the fact that it has a cafe in there as well, so you can sit with a nice latte and peruse books and magazines at leisure.  Heaven!

Anyway, I spotted a Fons and Porters Magazine 

And there were lots of quilts in there that I loved!  I *had* to have this mag. Well, then I looked at the price. Gulp! NZD$25 (which is about USD$20).  OMG!!  Hmmmm, but there are 3 I would definitely make and most patterns are about $25 here, so with the rationalisation that I was now getting 3 patterns for the price of one, I quickly handed over my credit card before I changed my mind.

I have since been to their website and seen how much this retails for in the USA. Crikey, I can't believe I paid about 3 times as much as it sells for there.  I am now thinking about subscribing to a magazine, but wonder what magazines you all think are worthwhile.... Any suggestions?

NaBloPoMo Day 8: Calico Christmas Part 2

 So here are a few more of the quilts that were on display at Calico Christmas....

Margaret Reid made this giant dahlia with Judi Schon doing the quilting.

A giant scrappy quilt made by Robyn McKenzie-Dobson

Pam Groube made this gorgeous quilt from American Civil War fabrics

Patricia Durovich made this eye popping quilt. The camera does not capture the colours at all.

Sally Smith made this to showcase Kaffe Fassett's cabbage fabric. I loved this one.

Donna Ward made this using Judy Neimeyer's pattern "Tumbleweeds"

Maree Duffelt's Floral Fantasy. She won second prize for best Amateur Large Bed Quilt.

Jane Bennett was inspired by a Chizuko Crazy Patchwork bag when she designed this scrappy quilt.

Heather Sokol did this quilt at a class in Te Puna. It was adapted from Fractured Crystals Simply Quilts by Fran Cameron.

This is an original design by Robyn Croft. Gorgeous! The colours were amazing. I love quilts like this as orange is a colour I would never use, but am inspired once I see a quilt that uses it so well.

NaBloPoMo Day 7: Calico Christmas

I am home again, albeit several hundred dollars poorer!! Calico Christmas was amazing. It is the first time I have been. so was not quite sure what to expect.  It was an absolute feast for the eyes and even if you were not a quilter, you would have to admire the creativity and inspiration behind the quilts.  I have loads of photos, but won't put them all in this post as there are about 200!!

I had several favourites and these appealed to me for their use of colour and their design. There were others that were gorgeous. and I could admire them for the work that had gone into them, such as the Baltimore quilts, but they are not "me".  Some of my favs....

This was designed by Wendy Oswin at Quilter's Dream.  It was called Ric Rac Jazz and she also had the pattern for it in her store in turquoises, hot pinks , purples and limes. I just had to have this! It was gorgeous.

A close up of the ric rac around the petals.

This was made by Joanna Baynes using Kaffe Fassett fabrics from his book Quilts in the Sun. 

This was made by Gea van Holst. I loved the colours in this and how she had pieced all her hexagons. The points all matched so perfectly as you can see below.

A mystery quilt by Natalie Murdoch and made by Jean Ramsay.

Justine Jones made this quilt for her daughter who stated quite firmly she didn't want anything traditional. I got talking to both Justine and her daughter and the inspiration came from a postcard and the daughter picked all the colours  to go with their bedroom. It was quite stunning up close.

Carol Mahoney made this circle quilt.  There were a few circle quilts there and the more I see these, the more I want to make one.

"Judith Bremner made this called "My Bedouin dress no longer fits" The fabric had been bought from the Spice Market in Istanbul and the dress from the Old City in Jerusalem.

Glenys Quinn made "Sawtooth Cats". It took me a while to figure out where the cats were!! Duh!

Sybil Lightbourne took a class with Hazel Foot and this was her first amazing effort in machine embroidery and free motion quilting. It is called Pacific Themes. A close up of the middle panel is on the right.

This is a design from Kaffe Fassett and won Best Use of Colour. It was made by Alison Haines and quilted by Susan Trendall.

I can detect a wee purple and turquoise theme going on in the quilts that I like. Will post more piccies tomorrow.

NaBloPoMo Day 6: Saturday snoozing

One of my cats looking very sleepy and relaxed in my strawberry planters.... just the perfect way to soak up some Saturday sun.

NaBloPoMo Day 5: Yo Yo fun

I have hunting for a yo yo maker ever since I saw them at the Craft Fair a couple of months back. I found this fabulous Yo Yo Santa pattern that I just had to have.  Of course I could have been Miss Industrious instead of Miss Lazy and made them the conventional way, but, I love new toys!! I finally found one last week.  Still hunting for an extra large one.

I got the fabric when I was in Tauranga a couple of weeks ago. Nice and bright for Santa Claus!

NaBloPoMo Day 4: Calico Christmas

Have a busy weekend coming up. Off to Auckland tomorrow night  for Calico Christmas on Saturday.  It's a quilt show organised by the Auckland Patchworkers and Embroider's Guild. Lots of amazing quilts on display and of course...SHOPPING!!  Then catching up with friends in Auckland before heading home for a work Christmas party on Sunday at Viligrad's. Christmas parties already!! Yikes, what is that about??